Display container



April 18, 1933. H. MATTHEWS DISPLAY CONTAINER File d May 12, 1931 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 18, 1933 e UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY MATTHEWS, OF TARENTUM, PENNSYLVANIA, DISTRIBUTED BY DEGREE 01 COURT TO ALICE C. MATTHEW S, WIDOW OF'SAID HARRY MATTHEWS, DECEASED DISPLAY CONTAINER Application filed May 12,

Where goods, such as cigars, candies and the like, are dispensed from containers, as the container becomes empty the remaining goods are less attractive to purchasers.

. Therefore containers have been; designed wherein the remaining'goods are elevated in the container so as to present a more attractive appearance. 7

. Cigar boxes, candy boxes and the like are 10 usually discarded after the goods originally packed therein have been dispensed and therefore such boxes must be made as cheaply as possible.

One of the objections to the containers hitherto designed for elevating the goods therein as the goods are dispensed has been that their cost has been'so considerable as to prevent their extensive commercial use. I

vTherefore one of the objects which I'have in view is the provision of a practical container having provision for elevating the goods therein as the goods are dispensed and which container will be inexpensiveto manufacture and will thus not add appreciably to the price at which the goods must be sold. Generally speaking my improved container is provided with a false bottom which may be elevated within the container by inserting the fingers through apertures in the permanentbottom of the container and spring-metal prongs are. also provided for supporting the false bottom at different elevations, said prongs being compressed against the sides of the container when the false bottom is depressed and said prongs being of graduated lengths so as to spring out as the bottom is elevated to supportthe false bottom at different heights.

Other novel features of construction and also. of arrangement of parts will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated theembodiment of the principles of my invention in a cigar box, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the box with the lid raised and the false bottom elevated to the position to which it is raised after the first layer of cigars has been re- .moved.

Fig. 2 is a broken section taken on a ver- 1931. Serial No. 536,703.

tical plane at right angles to that of Fig. 1 but showing the box full of cigars and the false bottom resting on the permanent bottom of the box.

Fi 3 is a like view showing the box after the rst layer of cigars has been removed and the bottom elevated to present the second layer of cigars at the top of the box.

Fig. 4 is a like View of the box after the second layer has been removed and the false bottom raised to present the third layer at the top of the box. I

Fig. 5 is a like view of the box after the third layer has been removed and the false bottom raised to present the fourth and botv tom layer of cigars at the top of the box.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the prongplates.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents the permanent bottom of the box, 2 its end walls, 3 its rear wall'and 4 its lid which is hinged to the wall 3.

The permanent bottom 1 is provided with one or more apertures 5 through which the fingersmay be inserted upwardly to elevate the false'bottom indicated at 6. I i 7 When the box is filled with cigars, as indicated in Fig. 2, the false bottom 6 rests upon the permanent bottom 1, the cigars being packed in a plurality of layers, usually four in numbers, such layers being indicated at 7a, 712,70 and 7d. 7

When the top layer of cigars indicated at 7a is removed, the false bottom 6 is elevated into position to bring the second layer 76 to the top of the box as indicated in Fig. 3. Again when the cigars in the second layer 76 are removed, the false bottom is again ele vated to bring the cigars in layer 7 0 to the top of the box as indicated in Fig. 4. Again when the cigars in layer are removed, the false bottom is raised'to bring the bottom layer 7 (Z to the top of the box as indicated in Fig. 5.

I provide novel, inexpensive, convenient and effective means for supporting the false bottom at its different elevations.

Thus 8 represents a spring-metal plate whose foot consists of an angularly disposed flange 9 from which the body of the plate ex- 1 tends upwardly. The body of the plate is divided by vertical cuts into a plurality of spring prongs indicated at 10a, 10b and 100, being equal in number to the number of elevations to which the false bottom is to be successively raised, and said prongs are of proper relative length to support the false bottom from beneath at such elevations. Thus prong 10a is of proper length to support the false bottom in-its position illustrated in Fig. 3 while prongs 10b and 100 are of proper length to support the false bottom in the positions illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, respectively. A plurality of such plates are used, preferably two at the front and two atthe rear of the box and in proper spaced relation. The foot-flanges 8 of the plates are. slipped in the crack between the permanent bottom of the box and the bottom-edges of the front and rear walls of the box and if necessary a nail may be driven through the bottom and the flange into the wall to hold the plate in place, but usually the plates will hold their places without nail- The angle between the foot-flange and the prongs is such that the prongs will tend to extend upwardly and inwardly of the-box, as best illustrated in Fig. 5, the angle being greater than a right angle to provide such positions of the prongs.

The false bottom is of the proper width to be slipped down past the prongs when the box is to be filled with cigars. To retract the, prongs while the false bottom is being slid into place, thin boards or sheets of cardboard may be set down in the box against either wall and the false bottom pushed down onto the permanent bottom and the boards then removed.

When the false bottom is in its lowermost position, as in Fig. 2, the edges of the false bottom will retract the prongs flat against the walls of the box.

When the first layer 7 a of cigars has been removed, the fingers are inserted through the apertures 5 and the false bottom pushed upwardly until it passes above the shortest prongs 10a which spring outwardly under the false bottom and support it asillustrated in Fig. 3. When. the cigars of layerTb have been removed, the false bottom isv again raised until the prongs of intermediate length 106 spring out under the false bottom and support the latter as indicated in Fig. 4.

When the cigars in layer 7 0 have been removed, the false bottom is again raised until the longest prongs 100 spring out under and support the false bottom.

It is thus evident that as each layer of cigars in the box areexhausted the bottom may be raised and the next layer presented in an attractive manner at the top of the box.

For the sake of clearness of description I have illustrated my invention applied to a four layer cigar box but it is obvious that it maybe applied to any box or other container, a proper number of prongs of different lengths being provided to give the desired degrees and numbers of elevations. Thus my invention may be used in'connection with pails and other containers in which goods such as candies are packed in massthat is not in layers, the false bottoms being arranged for elevation to proper levels to maintain an appearance of the container being substantially filled.

I prefer to form the prongs by bending and slitting a plate of suitable metal but any suitable material having the requisite resiliency may be used. Again the prongs may be separateelements and may be of round material if desired.

, My invention adds but little to the cost of the container and thus its use does not entail an appreciable loss in net profit. I claim v '1. The combination with a cigar box or the like having side walls and a bottom provided with finger holes; of a false bottom in said box substantially filling the space between the side walls and accessible through the finger holes whereby the false bottom'may be vertically adjusted by fingers inserted through said holes, and springmetal plates secured against certain of said side walls and each provided with spring fingers of graduated lengths adapted to spring inwardly from the respective wall, said fingers being normally held against the respective wall by an edge of said false bottom. v

2. The combination with a cigar box or the like having side walls and a bottom provided with finger holes; of a false bottom in said box substantially filling the space between the side walls and accessible through the finger holes whereby the false bottom may be vertically. adjusted by fingers inserted through said holes, spring metal plates secured against certain of said side walls. and each provided with spring fingers of graduated lengths adapted to spring inwardly from the respective wall, said fingers being normally held against the respective wall by an edge of said false bottom, and a flange extending from each plate and clamped between the bottom edge of a side wall and the bottom of the box.

3. The combination with a cigar box or the like having side walls and a bottom provided with finger holes; of a false bottom in said box substantially filling the space between the side walls and accessible'through the finger holes whereby the false bottom may be vertically adjusted by fingers inserted through said holes, and plates of spring metal each having its upper edge stepped and each being slit between the steps to provide a plurality of tongues of graduated length, said plates being arranged between the false bottom and certain of the side walls of the box with the tongues extending upwardly, said plates each having a flange at its lower edge fitted between the lower edge of a side wall and the box bottom.

Signed at Tarentum, Pa., this eighth day of May, 1931.

HARRY MATTHEWS. 

